It was only five months ago that the Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva took a dominant unanimous decision victory over fellow light heavyweight Brandon Vera at UFC 125. Many felt Silva’s performance was an assertion of his standing among the very best in the 205-pound division. Weeks later, Silva’s performance would be shrouded in controversy following urinalysis test results indicating that he had submitted fake urine to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). “Well this kind of thing goes all the way back to Kevin Randleman where he basically used a fake penis, put on a pair of bike shorts, had a cup and came in to take pre-fight urine,” says Keith Kizer, NSAC executive director. “He lifted up the leg of shorts, took out the fake penis and did the test. We checked on temperature, sent it to a lab, and we found it was fake urine. We said ‘look, now you guys have to pull down your shorts so that whoever is administering the test can see everything.’ “When Thiago Silva came in he pulled down his shorts and showed his actual penis, but as he turned towards the toilet he palmed a bottle, grabbing his penis in the other hand, pretended like he was urinating but was really putting the contents of bottle into the sample. We know now that Thiago’s sample was fake urine. It took him until the B sample to fess up to that.” The decision win over Brandon Vera was changed to a no contest and Kizer claims the incident prompted a change in the commission’s testing policy: “So the changes that we’re...

Not only will Gray Maynard answer any question that’s thrown his way, but he’ll answer it in a refreshingly real way. Gray addresses whether or not he’s a ‘boring’ fighter, if Anthony Pettis deserves a crack at the title and if Frankie Edgar possesses comparable wrestling to his own. Some fans may take objection to Gray’s candor, but he even has an opinion on that, too. Gray took time out of his busy schedule to talk with MMAFA.tv about his upcoming rubber match bout against the UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. Jon Luther: Thanks for the time, Gray. You’re coming off of the first exciting fight of your career. How does it feel? Gray Maynard: [Laughs] It feels good. But that’s what people say, right? Ever since I fought Edgar almost 3 years ago, I’ve only fought lefties. It’s a different style, a slower pace, and if you watch boxing a lot you know that. And nobody wanted to fight these guys because they were bad style match-ups. I took those fights. For a lot of guys a lefty like Nate Diaz is a bad match-up, Florian and Miller are both bad match-ups, and I also fought [Rich] Clementi at a time where he was on point. For me, I didn’t have an agent at that time to talk for me and decide what’s a good fight for me and what isn’t. I fought who they wanted me to and I asked for the top guys. If you look at it now, in the top ten, I’ve fought about four of them: Miller, Edgar, Nate, Siver. I’ve never had...

Bellator Fighting Championship enjoyed considerable coverage when they announced the move to MTV2 from their previous home of Fox Sports Network. The announcement was received with questions ranging from differences in average viewership between the networks to which day the events would be broadcast. Left out of the conversation was the change in sponsorship opportunities for Bellator’s fighters. MMAFA.tv has learned from sources close to Bellator Fighting Championship that the promotion is no longer allowing its fighters to receive sponsorship from poker sites and Condom Depot. Sources indicated that the move was requested, if not necessitated, by the MTV2 network in an effort to keep their station more suitable for teenagers and young adults. Some agents and managers find the move to be hypocritical given the age demographic and other offerings on the MTV network. One agent said: “[Bellator] says that it’s because MTV2 isn’t an acceptable audience for either sponsor. But look at the demographic they pull: males 19 – 35. So I don’t believe a word of it, because the majority of the people in that demographic are legally capable of gambling. What about Condom Depot? I mean, have you seen some of the stuff that’s on MTV2? Have they ever seen Skin, that show they have where underage kids are having sex with each other?” For fighters under the Bellator promotion, the loss of a sponsor like Full Tilt Poker could be considerable. Fighters receive anywhere from $2500 – 8000 per event from the poker site, also known for its consistency as a sponsor. One agent noted: “With [Full Tilt] off the table as a sponsor,...

On Wednesday afternoon, NSAC officials informed members of the MMA media via email that all the drug/steroid screening tests had been processed and were negative for participants at UFC 125, save for one. The email included a list of the fighters who had passed, with Thiago Silva’s name missing in a conspicuous manner. Keith Kizer, commissioner of the NSAC, confirmed to MMAFA.tv that Thiago Silva’s samples are still undergoing tests. “We want to make sure before we go forward with anything,” said Kizer. “We have to protect the rights of the fighter, and that means we have to be certain about everything.” Though the prolonged testing could be due to a mix up or false positive, this failed to deter MMA fans and media-types from speculating on the matter. Recent reports suggest that Rashad Evans is targeted to replace Thiago Silva for a rematch against UFC star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. This was due to a reported injury sustained by Silva, but Silva went on to refute the seriousness of the injury and insisted that the match with Jackson was a lock. Silva, speaking to TATAME.com today, claims that the first sample submitted to the NSAC tested positive for banned substances but his second sample came back negative, clearing the fighter of any wrongdoing. Keith Kizer informed MMAFA.tv that this is false, and that the results of the second sample might not be known for a while: “That’s not accurate. We have gotten only the first sample back. It could be weeks before we find out the results for the second test.”...

Two-time STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion (155 pounds), Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (18-2), has signed a new, multi-year agreement with the San Jose, Calif. based world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion. “STRIKEFORCE is my home, they’ve always been like family to me and I’m looking forward to continuing my career with them,” said the talented, exciting, 5-foot-9, 28-year-old protégé of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Cesar Gracie and Muay Thai legend Jongsanan Fairtex. “There are a lot of great fights out there for me – lots of challenges. I can’t wait to get back into the cage, do my thing and show the world that I’m still at the top of my game.’’ Melendez is seen in most MMA circles as a Top 5 Lightweight, with most placing the Cesar Gracie product only behind the UFC tandem of Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard. Melendez debuted in Oct. 18, 2002, and roared out to a 13-0 record while competing in the WEC, Shooto and Pride Fighting Championhips Organizations. Notable victories for Melendez include Shinya Aoki, Josh Thomson, Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Melendez captured the STRIKEFORCE interim lightweight belt with a second-round knockout (punches) over Rodrigo Damm on April 11, 2009, in San Jose. “I’m healthy again and excited about fighting again real soon,’’ Melendez said. “It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just want to get back in there and...